AN IMMORTAL SCIENCE: ALCHEMY S ROLE IN HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS. Will A. Angel. Dec, 2010

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1 AN IMMORTAL SCIENCE: ALCHEMY S ROLE IN HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS by Will A. Angel Dec, 2010 Chair: Dr. Jeffrey Johnson Major Department: English Literature I chose Hallows above any other novel in the series because it holds a stronger connection with alchemy than any of those before it. Hallows provides a density of alchemical symbols and imagery that far outshines any of its predecessors. In fact, Rowling introduces many new alchemical symbols into the series with Hallows, and I believe she saves the best for last in this respect. Hallows is unique because it functions as the Rubedo novel of the Harry Potter series while also serving as a representation of the complete alchemical cycle (Nigredo, Albedo, Rubedo) within itself. This capacity makes the alchemy in Hallows more pronounced than in earlier novels. Furthermore, Hallows is the first novel in the series to feature scripture from the Bible. With a Christian thread in the narrative, Hallows provides a means of exploration for the connection between a simultaneously alchemical and Christian narrative. Finally, Hallows centers much attention on the dynamic between Harry, Hermione, and Ron. I focus on this dynamic and pull from what Rowling says she may never use in the books to show how each character carries out his or her respective alchemical duties. In short, Hallows is the most

2 concentrated example of Rowling s alchemical pen, and its place as the finale of her series cements it as the basis for my study.

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4 AN IMMORTAL SCIENCE: ALCHEMY S ROLE IN HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS A Thesis Presented to The Faculty of the Department of English East Carolina University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Masters of English Literature By Will A. Angel December, 2010

5 Copyright 2010 Will A. Angel

6 AN IMMORTAL SCIENCE: ALCHEMY S ROLE IN HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS by Will A. Angel APPROVED BY: DIRECTOR OF THESIS: Dr. Kenneth Parille, PhD COMMITTEE MEMBER: Dr. Thomas Douglass, PhD COMMITTEE MEMBER: CHAIR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH: Dr. C.W. Sullivan III, PhD Dr. Jeffrey Johnson, PhD DEAN OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL: Dr. Paul J. Gemperline, PhD

7 DEDICATIONS I would like to dedicate this thesis to my parents, Billy and Lesa Angel. Their guidance and support in all areas of my life has given me the confidence to complete six years of English study. The values of hard work and determination that they have instilled in me will always be something that I can count on. I am immensely grateful to them for all that they do.

8 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank Dr. Ken Parille for his patience and support throughout the composition of this thesis. His perceptions were imperative to the completion of my project. I would also like to thank Dr. Tom Douglass and Dr. C.W Sullivan III for their helpful suggestions during the revision process.

9 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER ONE: TRANSFORMATION AND ALCHEMICAL CHARACTERS IN DEATHLY HALLOWS. 9 CHAPTER TWO: ALCHEMICAL SYMBOLS IN DEATHLY HALLOWS. 28 CHAPTER THREE: CHRISTIAN NARRATIVE IN DEATHLY HALLOWS CONCLUSION. 56 WORKS CITED 59

10 Let the Games Begin Few critics of the Harry Potter series have addressed alchemy as an important theme of J.K. Rowling s seven-part narrative. In light of the author s own words, however, a close study of the subject s presence and influence in the series seems prudent now that the story has come to a close. Speaking about the presence of alchemy in her books, Rowling says, I ve learned a ridiculous amount about alchemy. Perhaps much of it I ll never use in the books, but I have to know what magic can and cannot do in order to set the parameters and establish the stories internal logic (HeraldScotland.com). In choosing alchemy to set the parameters of what her narrative can and cannot do, Rowling gives me an opportunity to fully examine what role alchemy plays in the finale of her series. Furthermore, Rowling s declaration allows me to uncover what elements of the narrative were constructed on an alchemical platform and discover just how far her ridiculous knowledge of alchemical concepts goes in terms of narrative influence in Deathly Hallows. Rowling s words make an alchemical study of her entire seven-part series relevant, but my work focuses on what I feel is the culmination of alchemical technique in the series with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I chose Hallows above any other novel in the series because it holds a stronger connection with alchemy than any of those before it. Hallows provides a density of alchemical symbols and imagery that far outshines any of its predecessors. In fact, Rowling introduces many new alchemical symbols into the series with Hallows, and I believe she saves the best for last in this respect. Hallows is unique because it functions as the Rubedo novel of the Harry Potter series while also serving as a representation of the complete

11 2 alchemical cycle (Nigredo, Albedo, Rubedo) within itself. This capacity makes the alchemy in Hallows more pronounced than in earlier novels. Furthermore, Hallows is the first novel in the series to feature scripture from the Bible. With a Christian thread in the narrative, Hallows provides a means of exploration for the connection between a simultaneously alchemical and Christian narrative. Finally, Hallows centers much attention on the dynamic between Harry, Hermione, and Ron. I focus on this dynamic and pull from what Rowling says she may never use in the books to show how each character carries out his or her respective alchemical duties. In short, Hallows is the most concentrated example of Rowling s alchemical pen, and its place as the finale of her series cements it as the basis for my study. While many critics have written on the Harry Potter series, few have given such close attention to alchemy as a possible narrative influence as Amy Wygant and John Granger. Wygant notes the use of alchemical imagery in the series but claims that the possibility of an alchemical reading of the text is surprisingly diffuse (182). She argues that alchemy is not a determining factor in the reader s overall perception of the story because the text can lose its alchemical specificity and assume another name without damaging the plot s internal coherence or its immense appeal to readers (182). My work, however, shows Rowling s alchemical specificity to be central (if not responsible for) the structure of Hallows. I find that without alchemical parameters, Hallows would have been an entirely different novel. On the other side of the Hermetic polemic, John Granger outlines the strong influence that alchemy has on the first five novels in the Harry Potter series in his article, The Alchemist s Tale. Granger s work focuses mostly on alchemical symbolism, but he notes that the books (1-5) show a design akin and parallel to the stages of the alchemical work (Granger). Granger also hints at themes of

12 3 spiritual truth and transformation to be the result of Rowling s alchemical pen, but many other critics have approached these same motifs with no concern for their alchemical connection in the series. Kate Behr says that Rowling works her literary magic through transformation a significant element in the narrative structure across the novel series and a repeated theme at the heart of the story (257). She notes that readers are transformed along with Harry as he grows from innocent schoolboy to knowledgeable adult (265). Behr finds the theme of transformation to be prevalent throughout the series but names Deathly Hallows to be the place where the greatest transformations occur (268). Farah Mendlesohn concentrates on the elements responsible for the transformation that takes place as Harry matures. She finds that Hermione and Ron have much to do with Harry s progression and success in the series, writing that Harry s triumphs rest on the attributes of his companions (164). Mary Pharr agrees, adding that, Harry needs both perspectives. The friendship itself, she notes, helps Harry grow toward maturity (62). While Behr notes a transformation element present in the series, she neglects the role of alchemy as the catalyst for that transformation. My work shows that personal transformation was the central aim of many alchemists. With Hallows, Harry becomes the matter to be transformed, and the reader (like the alchemist stooped over his Alembic) is transformed as well. Mendlesohn s idea of Harry s success resting on the attributes of his companions is crucial to my study because it exposes the critical role of alchemical sulfur (Ron) and mercury (Hermione) in

13 4 the book. Pharr s stance relates to the idea I introduce in chapter one that Harry relies on the unique hermetic traits of his companions in order to become the redeemer of the novel. Rebecca L. Stephens writes about the religious objections concerning Harry Potter. She finds a divide among the church community in terms of the Harry Potter novels, noting the more moderate groups see Harry Potter s witchcraft as metaphorical and, that view opens the books up to interpretation for spiritual groups whereas, the more extreme end sees the series witchcraft as literal and, therefore, inappropriate for Christian readers (24). Danielle Tumminio believes much can be gained from a religious study of the series. She says that the books are far from any kind of religious allegory but maintains that they could still uphold Christian themes (72). Arguing that love is the God-figure in the series, Tumminio finds that Rowling makes an effort to show that God is both a very real presence and a very challenging one (76). I bring alchemy into the conversation that Stephens and Tumminio are having by exploring how the book s use of esoteric alchemy brings forth ideas of Christian meaning and logic, instead of witchcraft and paganism. Chapter three of my project exhibits how the God-figure of the series is not love, but Harry himself, and his role as such shows the book to be consistent with certain Christian themes. Speaking in terms of symbol and metaphor in the series, Sharon Black argues that many of the experiences in the books are symbolic in nature. She maintains that their appeal in the novel stems from the way that they depict the act of growing up (or maturing) in a hero s footsteps. In her words, Harry Potter is a set of modern symbols for the processes and truths that have been represented by hero and journey symbols through the ages (244). She finds that

14 5 readers are able to achieve real world understanding through Harry s unreal solutions in the book (244). For Black, Harry s encounters with things such as class hierarchies and death in the wizard world symbolize authentic human truths on earth. While much of the imagery Rowling employs may be modern, my work in chapter two shows that many of the symbols present are traditional alchemical symbols in English literature. Katherine Grimes, too, notes the symbolic nature of Harry s exploits in the books. In particular, Grimes finds the symbolic deaths and rebirths that occur in the series to hold special meaning for readers. With death representing the endings of phases in the children s lives, Grimes argues that young readers are able to understand the capriciousness of death: As we identify with the hero, we feel a bit invincible, learning to cope with the deaths of others but feeling protected from our own mortality (104). Rebirth, on the other hand, is understood as periods in their own lives, with their infancy and childhood behind them and their anticipation of adulthood (104). Grimes never addresses alchemy as being responsible for the themes of death and rebirth in the books, but my argument in chapters two and three shows how these ideas of mortality and regeneration are central to Harry s story not only as a representation of phases in children s lives, but as an alchemical piece of literature as well. With the exception of John Granger and Amy Wygant, few of the critics mentioned apply an alchemical reading to Deathly Hallows. Granger provides readers with a glimpse of how alchemy works through The Order of the Phoenix, but his article never reaches the final novel in its analysis. As a result, the true capacity of alchemy s role in the culmination of a seven-part saga is never fully fleshed out. Mendlesohn and Pharr are writing about a series in its infancy,

15 6 and the themes that they discuss seem to focus on the development and maturation of a child. Harry is all grown up now and his development as a character is completed with the end of Deathly Hallows. Now that the narrative is complete, my job is to uncover the alchemical pattern in Rowling s final novel and, in doing so, depict how themes of transformation, religion, and symbolism are still relevant to a study of Harry Potter. In chapter one, I focus on the characters in Deathly Hallows that are specifically designed (with respect to appearance and function) for an alchemical narrative. Specifically, this chapter introduces the idea of Harry as the Philosopher s Stone of the novel, and Ron and Hermione as alchemical sulfur and mercury. Using Lyndy Abraham s Dictionary of Alchemical Imagery, as well as other sources on hermeticism, this section explains the boundaries of alchemy as a science and explores how the elements and processes of this sacred art are displayed through character and narrative design in the novel. Because Ron and Hermione are instrumental catalysts in the changes that take place in Harry, I discuss how Rowling constructs each of them to fill his or her particular alchemical roles. With Harry, I explain how his role as the book s Prima Materia puts him at the mercy of the alchemical cycle, eventually leading him through the Nigredo, Albedo, and Rubedo stages of alchemy on his journey to defeat Lord Voldemort. I also investigate how Rowling uses character pairs or doppelgangers in the book to connote a sense of polarity, or conflict. In order to set the stage for proceeding chapters, I introduce the idea of transformation as a theme that is central to the story as a maturation tale, and an alchemical narrative.

16 7 With chapter two I take a close look at the specifically alchemical symbols and images that Rowling selects for her final novel. I note which images she carries over from earlier novels and pay special attention to the symbols that are new to Hallows. Certain symbols function as literal objects in the text, while others serve to capture a symbolic action taking place, and I differentiate between the effects that each has on the story. In particular, Rowling takes careful attention in designing her settings so that they depict a particular stage of the alchemical cycle. I show how environment and atmosphere are key players in the alchemical imagery of Hallows. Furthermore, I explore how the symbols and images used in Hallows depict a theme of transformation that is central to both the aims of alchemy and Rowling s narrative. Much of chapter two revolves around the dense grouping of symbols used in the epilogue. Besides indicating which stage of the alchemical cycle the story is in during the epilogue, Rowling chooses certain symbols that are new to the series to create a sort of revitalized Eden with the novel s close. With Harry as the novel s Philosopher s Stone, the images and symbols used in Hallows (with particular attention to the epilogue) show that Harry s transformation is complete and his perfection realized. Chapter three establishes a connection between alchemy s aims and the ideals of Christianity as they are expressed in Deathly Hallows. I position Harry as a Christological figure in the text, but I am careful not to interpret the novel as a simple religious allegory. With no clear representation of God in the text, I argue that Hallows exhibits Christian meaning and influence without ever appearing to be simple moral allegory. I associate the three stages of alchemy (Nigredo, Albedo, Rubedo) with the nativity, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, respectively. I show how Harry, as a Christ-like shadow, goes through his own sort of nativity,

17 8 crucifixion, and resurrection in the novel, and I express how each is likened to a specific alchemical process. In regards to detailing how Hallows is Christian literature, I also specify the ways in which it is not. Rowling makes a few detours from the Christian narrative in her novel, and my work shows how these differences prevent a successful religious allegory. With an apparent connection between Christian literature and children s fantasy in Hallows, Rowling s readers come from far and wide to immerse themselves in the imaginative transformation and struggle to believe that is Harry s journey. In a sense, everyone hopes to conquer the nadirs of life and end up in a place where all was well (759). Deathly Hallows allows readers such an experience through identification with Harry.

18 Chapter One: Transformation and Alchemical Characters in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows The Harry Potter novels are popular because they satisfy our psychological needs. Male or female, child or adolescent or adult, we identify with this boy. He is good but not perfect. He is trying to find out who he is. - M. Katherine Grimes In order to perform a close analysis of the alchemy at work in Deathly Hallows one must first establish the science s presence in the books beyond just circumstance. The first book of the series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher s Stone, highlights alchemy s role in the story directly in its title. The Philosopher s Stone was said to be the much sought-after goal of the opus alchymicum and the most famous of all alchemical ideas (Abraham 145). Noting that the stone, a symbol of human transformation and resolution, was the much sought-after goal of the adept s Great Work, one can stipulate that the Harry Potter series is also concerned with setting and reaching such a goal in the end. Amy Wygant, however, believes that a search for such a goal in the text is exhaustive. Writing about the presence of alchemy in the series, Wygant argues that the possibilities for an alchemical reading are both extremely forceful and surprisingly diffuse (182). However, Rowling s own words seem to make Wygant s claim of a diffuse alchemical reading of Harry Potter seem somewhat unfounded. Rowling says:

19 10 I ve never wanted to be a witch, but an alchemist, now that s a different matter. To invent this wizarding world, I ve learned a ridiculous amount about alchemy. Perhaps much of it I ll never use in the books, but I have to know what magic can and cannot do in order to set the parameters and establish the stories internal logic. (Simpson) I will argue that alchemy s role in establishing the narrative arc of the Harry Potter series is far from diffuse. On the contrary, I feel alchemy s role in determining the internal logic of the series reaches its climax in Deathly Hallows as the culmination of Rowling s careful alchemical planning and character development successfully bring closure to an alchemical pattern that she sets in motion with the title of her first book. 1 Because Rowling is an author-alchemist, one of her main concerns in writing the Harry Potter series is imbedding the idea of personal transformation into the text. Harry transforms little-by-little as the stories progress, but his most important transformation doesn t occur until Deathly Hallows. Kate Behr touches on transformation in the text as a significant element in the narrative structure across the novel series and a repeated theme at the heart of the story (257). As Behr hints at transformation being located at the heart of the series, she never addresses the possibility of alchemy as the pulse behind the transformations taking place in the story. Granger understands the possible match between alchemy and narrative transformation because, as he says, alchemy and literature are a match because they both endeavor to transform the human person (Granger). While both critics are aware of the importance of transformation in 1 Harry Potter and the Philosopher s Stone is the title of the first novel in the series. Abraham calls the Philosopher s Stone the most famous of all alchemical ideas possessing the power to transform the earthly man into an illumined philosopher (145). Therefore, the role of transformation in Deathly Hallows can be seen as both a means of boyhood maturation and alchemical progression.

20 11 the Harry Potter series, only Granger takes note of the alchemical influence in Rowling s writing. My project will pick up where Behr began and Granger left off, performing a complete examination of alchemy s presence and effect in the last novel of the series, Deathly Hallows. Beyond the mention of traditional alchemical figures such as Hermione in the text, Rowling gives careful attention to the way that she develops her story s characters so that they assume specific alchemical functions. Many of the characters are given names which hold historical significance in the practice of alchemy. Harry s godfather in the series, Sirius Black, has a surname that John Granger says literally stands for the Nigredo of the Great Work (Granger). 2 Lyndy Abraham s A Dictionary of Alchemical Imagery provides an account for the use of the word black in alchemical literature. Abraham says that black is the colour which signifies the onset of the nigredo, the dissolution or death and putrefaction of the old form of body of the metal (or the stone s matter) at the beginning of the opus (26). Here, Rowling uses black both as a color and as an alchemical marker for the death, loss, and dissolution that Harry will experience as Prima Materia during the Nigredo stage of Deathly Hallows. 3 Harry takes on the alchemical role of the Prima Materia in chapters nine through eighteen. This is quite an important role for Harry to assume in the book because it shapes him as the hero and savior of mankind. In a sense, Harry as Prima Materia must become the Alpha and Omega of the book. It is his job as the vehicle of transformation to bring resolution to the chaotic 2 Jacques Sadoul notes that the great work is not a single operation, but consists of three completely separate parts (209). Those three parts are Nigredo, Albedo, and Rubedo. 3 Harry serves as the novel s Prima Materia because he is the main character. He is also the vehicle through which all transformation is achieved in Deathly Hallows.

21 12 wizard world, ultimately returning it to its own state of Edenic perfection. Abraham explains the role of the Prima Materia in alchemy: First matter, the original, pure substance from which it was believed the universe was created and into which it might again be resolved. The alchemical prima materia is the receptive matter upon which the forms of all things were thought to be imprinted in the process of creation In alchemy the prima materia or first matter from which the universe was created is identical with the substance which constitutes the soul in its original pure state. (153-55) In order for Harry to become the Philosopher s Stone, then, he must be transformed from lead to gold, from sin and failure to redeeming virtue. Harry must lose most of the characteristics that identify him. He must be broken down to his purest form before he can become the union of opposites, the ultimate resolution of contrary forces that is the Philosopher s Stone. 4 It must not be forgotten, however, that Harry must also transform from a boy to a man as he moves from lead to gold. With the stages of the Great Work in mind, Rowling uses her alchemical knowledge to associate the changes that Harry undergoes in the Alembic with the normal process of maturation for any other boy. Grimes notes that young adolescents see in the series some means of coming to terms with the real world (90). So, as Harry comes to terms with his place as the savior of humanity, he also comes to terms with the feelings of being an adolescent in the real world. 4 Abraham writes, Alchemy is based on the hermetic view that man had become divided within himself, separated into two sexes, at the fall in the garden of Eden and could only regain his integral Adamic state when the opposing forces within him were reconciled (36-7).

22 13 Harry begins his journey of self-maturation, both literally and alchemically, when Rowling thrusts him into the Nigredo of the novel in chapters nine through eighteen. Hermetically speaking, the Nigredo is concerned with dissolving and disintegrating, breaking down the physique of substance to free the divine breath or quintessential spirit within it (Nicholl 4). In terms of Harry s maturation as a normal boy, the Nigredo can be read to symbolize the normal struggles that many teenagers goes through in their lives as they search for their true identities as adults. Many teenagers experience struggles for their own identities as they grow up trying to look and act like the most popular and accepted persons around them. Harry experiences the loss of his own identity in another way as his connection with Voldemort forces him to assume the characteristics of someone other than himself. Soon after escaping the clan of Death Eaters who stormed into the wedding of Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour, Harry is overtaken by the connection that he holds with Voldemort in the lightning-shaped scar on his forehead: Harry had given a cry of pain: His scar had burned again as someone flashed across his mind like a bright light on blue water. He saw a large shadow and felt a fury that was not his own pound through his body, violent and brief as an electric shock (172). On the surface, the large shadow in Harry s mind reflects the defining physical characteristics of the black stage (or Nigredo) of the Great Work. The large shadow symbolizes the dissolution or blurring of characteristics that define who Harry is. More important, however, the fury that consumes Harry is not his own. As Harry s mind is taken over by Voldemort early in the novel he has no power to control it. The rage that burns inside of Harry s enemy is transferred to his own mind. The feelings that he would normally be able to experience are washed away, pushed to the side so that his connection with Lord Voldemort may play on his emotions.

23 14 In the normal world, the minds of adolescents are constantly bombarded by beliefs that are not their own. Insert the popular crowd for Voldemort in the above passage, and the line separating maturation as a real boy and maturation as the Philosopher s Stone begins to blur. The alchemical changes that Harry undergoes in the Alembic actually become clearer when read alongside the event of growing-up. As young readers journey along with Harry they are able to associate themselves with the Prima Materia that is Harry, and even though the subject in question is a child, Grimes says that the effect is not lost with adult readers. She writes, It is the child with whom we identify, even as adults. For it is the child, and the child in us, who still has hope that the animal, the weak, mortal part of the person, will pass, leaving the immortal soul, the connection with God (108). Therefore, the alchemical processes that coincide with maturation and the search for one s identity are things which readers can already relate to. They are, in many respects, the same thing. Harry s struggle is universal, and even though the alchemy of his journey may be hiding beneath the surface, its effect on the text is undeniable: male or female, child or adolescent or adult, we identify with this boy. He is good but not perfect. He is trying to find out who he is (Grimes 121). Later in chapter nine, Harry s connection with Voldemort goes further than just his mind. In an explosion of agony, Harry felt the rage that did not belong to him possess his soul (174). Here, the intrusion into Harry s being reaches a new level as the removal of his defining characteristics occurs not only on a physical or mental level, but a spiritual one as well. Abraham says that traditional alchemists believed there could be no regeneration without corruption and that nature could only be renewed after first dying away (135). Harry is on his way to dying

24 15 away as Voldemort takes control of him on at least three different levels (mind, body and soul) during the onset of the novel s Nigredo. Mentally, Harry is corrupted as someone flashes through his mind. Physically, Harry is corrupted with trembling hands and a pounding head. Metaphysically, Harry is corrupted by Voldemort as an unknown rage possesses his soul. 5 Together, the triple corruption that Harry experiences in the aptly named House of Black signifies the alchemical influence on the design and development of Harry s character, as well as the novel s narrative structure. Harry continues to be broken down from a mental standpoint as his faith in Dumbledore, a mentor and protector of Harry throughout the novels, is shattered by those around him. A good portion of the Nigredo in Deathly Hallows is built around Harry s connection with Dumbledore. As an orphan, Harry was forced to grow up with his aunt and uncle. Treated much more like an animal than a human by his surrogate family, Harry begins to believe that he doesn t quite belong in the normal world. Upon receiving his letter of admission from Hogwarts, Harry is whisked away from his life under the cupboard. Arriving in the wizard world, Harry is immediately taken under the wing of Professor Dumbledore. Dumbledore becomes a father figure for Harry as he spends his time at school. Eventually, the two become full partners in the fight against Voldemort before Dumbledore is murdered atop the Astronomy Tower, leaving Harry s image of the man pristine, one of God-like purity. All that Harry thought he knew about 5 Abraham explains the importance of alchemy on a metaphysical level. She writes: Alchemy operates at a metaphysical as well as a physical level. The alchemist is concerned not only with the transmutation of base metal into gold, but most importantly with the transformation of the natural or earthly man into the illumined philosopher. The process of purifying the imperfect metal was analogous to the purification of man s soul and body (154-55).

25 16 his mentor soon comes crashing down as the relationship they had built over a six year period is exposed as a farce by those around him. 6 In chapter ten Harry reflects on what was said about Dumbledore at the wedding: the accusations he had heard from Muriel at the wedding seemed to have nested in his brain like diseased things, infecting his memories of the wizard he had idolized (177). 7 Here, Harry begins to feel betrayed, not only because Dumbledore had kept so many things from him, but because the person who he had shaped himself to be was largely a model of all that was good in Dumbledore. Without the certainty of what symbolized goodness in his life, Harry is forced to question what he knows about himself. Further reaching a state of dissolution, Harry encounters the nadir of the novel s Nigredo stage in chapter eighteen. The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore opens with an existential emptiness in Harry as the pure, colorless vastness of the sky stretched over him, indifferent to him and his suffering (350). At this point in the novel Harry has lost his best friend, Ron, as well as his faith in Dumbledore. It is important to note that Harry is losing the things which define who he is in these Nigredo chapters. Harry is a young man, and as a result he depends on his friends and guardians to create and stabilize the image of who he believes himself to be. As he loses these elements of his life the stability of his character begins to fold. When the things 6 It is important to note that the Dumbledore biography that Rita Skeeter authors is mostly a fabrication. 7 Abraham s dictionary of alchemical imagery briefly mentions disease: All metals were perceived to be potential gold, and the impurities which they contracted in the mines of the earth where they were formed were thought of as a state of disease or leprosy which could be cured by the perfect medicine or Philosopher s Stone (123). Here, Harry is the initial unclean body of the Stone, the Prima Materia which is said to suffer from leprosy and must be cleansed.

26 17 that Harry has built himself up on begin to crumble, he is forced to search for his own true identity from the inside out, instead of relying on external influences. The things that make up Harry, then, become the most essential qualities that he possesses. As David Jones says, it is not his family that allows Harry to discover who he is it is his experience in making moral distinctions (194). Harry is struggling to let go of his adolescent image in chapter eighteen as he finishes reading Dumbledore s biography: Some inner certainty had crashed down inside him; it was exactly as he had felt after Ron left. He had trusted Dumbledore, believed him the embodiment of goodness and wisdom. All was ashes: How much more could he lose? Ron, Dumbledore, the phoenix wand. (360) 8 At this point Harry can lose no more; he has been reduced to the bare bones of his character. All that remains of Harry is Harry. The Prima Materia has been achieved. The Nigredo is complete. Having lost his best friend during the Nigredo of the novel it becomes clear just how important Ron and Hermione are in Harry s transformation. Farah Mendlesohn suggests that Harry s success in the books rests on the attributes of his companions (164). Hermetically speaking, this observation compliments the role of Ron and Hermione as alchemical agents in Harry s transformation. Without Ron as sulfur and Hermione as mercury, Harry would never be 8 That Rowling chose All was ashes to complete Harry s dissolution is very important. Abraham says that ash is the incorruptible substance left in the alembic after the matter of the Stone has been subjected to the purgatorial fire (12). Harry has become incorruptible at this point. The fact that Harry has been reduced to ashes shows that Rowling has successfully completed the Nigredo of her novel. The Prima Materia (Harry) is now ready to undergo the second stage of the Great Work.

27 18 able to reach the state of Prima Materia that he does early on in the books or become the resolution of all contraries as he does by book s end. Mendlesohn argues that one of the roles of the hero s companions is to provide their skills to enable the hero to achieve specific things for which the hero and not they take the prize (164). While she may not have had the process of alchemy in mind when making such an observation, Mendlesohn still sees the role of Ron and Hermione in Harry s transformation as one of vital importance. She, like many readers, will notice the process of alchemy taking place through maturation and companionship, perhaps without even knowing that the two concepts work in unison. The specific skills that Mendlesohn notes as traditional qualities of the hero s companions in fantasy literature also fit the qualities of hermetic mercury and sulfur. As Prima Materia in the Great Work, Harry exhibits the qualities of the catalytic agents introduced to him. Where Mendlesohn sees Harry being taught new skills by his companions, an alchemical reading finds Harry taking on the qualities of the agents (mercury and sulfur) as he reacts with them in the Alembic. Pairing two different readings of the role of Harry s companions in the text leads to a similar conclusion. Interpreting Harry s personal growth as a result of Ron and Hermione s interaction with him (both as alchemical agents and as companions) agrees with both an alchemical reading and that of a traditional hero s tale. Rowling s depiction of Harry s companions as alchemical agents is taken from a traditional understanding of hermetic mercury and sulfur. Linden says that metals were produced beneath the earth s surface from two parent principles. Ron and Hermione serve as these principles for Harry during his transformation. Of the two parent principles, Ron (sulfur) represents the qualities of hotness, dryness and masculinity. Inversely, Hermione (mercury)

28 19 represents coldness, moistness, and femininity (15). Together, the two companions represent the catalyst for transformation that takes place in Harry; and, as Mendlesohn argues, the specific attributes of these companions are responsible for Harry s growth and development throughout the novel. Mendlesohn notes that Harry s companions function as courtiers in the text, and claims that their talents are by extension, their prince s talents (165). This extension can be read in reverse to represent the connection between Harry and his parent principles in the Alembic. Because Harry assumes the qualities of both Ron and Hermione during the Great Work, the talents of his disciples become his own. Just as a child obtains qualities from both the father and the mother, Harry has become the extension between his alchemical parents, representing a sort of triumvirate among the three. Mendlesohn goes on to say that the roles of Ron and Hermione in Harry s life creates a peculiarly passive hero to whom things happen, which he suffers and bears, but who rarely proceeds in a proactive manner (165). It would seem, however, with the arrival of Deathly Hallows that she was a bit off the mark. By book s end Rowling gives readers a version of a hero who has matured from the boy who used to sleep in the cupboard under the stairs to a selfless leader who accepts that he must die, and understands that there are far, far worse things in the living world than dying (720-1). Behr says that Harry s attitude toward death at this point in the story is what primarily changes the story, marking the most significant of all Rowling s narrative transformations (268). In the end, the connection created between Harry and his two companions have transformed him from a peculiarly passive hero to an active agent in victory. Without Ron or Hermione (and the specific qualities that they

29 20 possess), Harry could never have become hero. Through a closer look at Harry s faithful companions, the alchemical influence in the makeup of their characters becomes clear. Beginning with sulfur, readers meet the fiery, short-tempered, red-headed Ronald Bilious Weasley, whose middle name displays a connection to the properties of philosophic sulphur. The Oxford English Dictionary defines one of the meanings of the word bilious to be, choleric, wrathful, peevish, ill-tempered. Here, Rowling has given Ron a vernacular connection to the reagent sulfur before the audience knows who he is. Abraham says that Sulphur is the hot, dry, active seed of metals, the male principle, Sol, in the opus alchymicum (192-93). Comparing Harry s companions with Abraham s alchemical definitions of mercury and sulfur highlights each one s role as an alchemical agent in Harry s transformation. Near the end of chapter fifteen a conversation takes place between Harry and Ron that displays nearly all of the qualities of philosophic sulfur. Ron and Harry have just gone over possible locations for the next Horocrux to be hiding when Ron loses his temper in a violent outburst directed at Harry. Ron says: It s not like I m not having the time of my life here, you know, with my arm mangled and nothing to eat and freezing my backside off every night. I just hoped, you know, after we d been running around a few weeks, we d have achieved something Don t expect me to skip up and down the tent because there s some other damn thing we ve got to find. Just add it to the list of stuff you don t know We thought you knew what you were

30 21 doing! We thought Dumbledore had told you what to do, we thought you had a real plan! (306-7) Ron is exhibiting all the hot-headed, highly reactive qualities of sulfur in this scene as he explodes with anger towards Harry. The volatile behavior of Ron is characteristic of the role of sulfur in the Great Work. Abraham s work shows that even Ron s anger and corrupt behavior are a sign of allegiance to his sulfuric character. She writes that in its most primitive state sulphur is said to burn, consume and corrupt, and even have affinities with the devil (193). Ron s similarities with the devil come shining through in this scene as he tries to lead Hermione against Harry saying, Don t lie! You said it too, you said you were disappointed, you said you d thought he had a bit more to go on than (308). Here, Ron has acted rashly. He has expressed himself in an extremely volatile manner towards Harry, and before he can even cool down enough to apologize for his actions, he storms off and leaves the two on their own for three and a half chapters. Clearly, this hot, dry, active seed of metals has had enough of the cold winter forest, and assuming his role as the violent, corrosive substance of the trio, he trots off into the darkness alone (Abraham 194). It is important to note that these periods of disagreement among Harry and his companions are crucial to Harry s alchemical development. Granger cites this importance in the series: together, and more obviously, in their disagreements and separation, Harry s friendships with Ron and Hermione transform him from lead to gold (Granger). Ron s role as sulfur does not mean that he always has to be aggressive, angry, and hotheaded. In fact, transformation is vital to an alchemical reading of Deathly Hallows. Following suit with the progression of the alchemical opus, chapter nineteen presents Ron as a literal

31 22 symbol of light. Using the Deluminator, Ron is able to re-connect with Harry and Hermione in the forest by actually becoming a ball of light. When asked how he used the Deluminator to return to the forest, Ron replies: The little ball of light was hovering there, waiting for me, and when I came out it bobbed along a bit and I followed it behind the shed and then it well, it went inside me. It sort of floated toward me right to my chest, and then it just went straight through I could feel it, it was hot. And once it was inside me I knew what I was supposed to do, I knew it would take me where I needed to go. (384-5) Here, the story has progressed from the initial stages of the opus, and Ron has returned as a symbolic sun. Abraham s definition of sulfur explains the odd return of Ron as a ball of light beyond the parameters of fantastical literature. She writes, at a more refined stage of the opus, sulphur is symbolized by the sun (193). This means that Ron is successfully fulfilling his role as sulfur in the transformation of Harry. Where Ron serves as the hot-headed, active principle of reaction in the early stages of Hallows, he has now obtained the more refined qualities of alchemical sulfur. Through the process of his own dissolution in losing Harry and Hermione, Ron has become a more stable version of alchemical sulfur as realized by the ball of light that he becomes.

32 23 The female principle of Rowling s hermetic equation brings readers to the moon-goddess, Hermione. 9 Alchemically, Hermione serves as the inverse of Ron s character. Where Ron provides all the noise and action of a loud older brother to Harry, Hermione remains one of quiet determination. In a way, Hermione takes on an almost motherly role in Harry s transformation. Abraham defines mercury to be the cold, moist, receptive, female seed of metals which must be united with the hot, dry, active masculine seed known as sulphur in order to create the philosopher s stone (10). Therefore, it is Hermione s job to be the voice of reason in Harry s struggle to remain valiant in his quest against Voldemort. Hermione must provide Harry with constant guidance and understanding as he undergoes the different stages of the Great Work. Hermione assumes these mercurial roles as she leads Harry from his lofty ideas back to reason numerous times in the story. At one point, Harry has become obsessed with casting his quest for the Horcruxes aside in exchange for a journey to the graves of his dead family in Godric s Hollow. Hermione brings Harry back to earth as she uses her unending patience to talk Harry through his impulsive behavior. She tells Harry: I understand why you d love to talk to her about your mum and dad, and Dumbledore too. But that wouldn t really help us in our quest for the Horcruxes, would it? Harry, I know you really want to go to Godric s Hollow, but I m scared, I m scared at how easily those Death Eaters found us yesterday. It just makes me feel more than ever that we ought to avoid the place where your parents are buried, I m sure they d be expecting you to visit it. (184-85) 9 John Read notes that according to the Chinese doctrine of Yin-Yang, the elements of sulfur and mercury were associated with the opposing forces of the sky: Sulfur, like Yang, was linked with the Sun; and mercury, like Yin, with the moon (21).

33 24 Here, where Ron would have gladly bounded off into the woods with Harry on a whim, Hermione s mercurial character works to bring a sense of balance to Harry, further transforming him from earthly man to illumined philosopher. Hermione s role as mercury is to dissolve fixed matter, and as the story progresses more instances of transformation surface through her interactions with Harry. Harry s confidence in Deathly Hallows comes from years of succeeding as the chosen one of the books. Time and time again he has gone up against extreme odds only to come through as victor in the end. But this success is not merely a result of Harry s heroic qualities. Each time Harry has experienced victory, Hermione has been right there beside him. Without her ability to dissolve the fixed ideas that Harry clings to so desperately in each novel, Harry would never be able to conquer his own mind. Hermione breaks down the false certainties that Harry s impulsive mind clings to later on in the story as he struggles to remain faithful to Dumbledore. Upon reading Rita Skeeter s fabricated version of Dumbledore s early life, Harry is easily swayed to accept the lies as truth. Believing that Dumbledore was never the man he pretended to be, Harry is ready to give up on his mentor s quest when Hermione brings him back to earth through one of her receptively coolheaded rationalizations. Assuming Dumbledore was in allegiance with the dark arts all along, Harry is exploding with frustration when Hermione exclaims: He changed, Harry, he changed! It s as simple as that! Maybe he did believe those things when he was seventeen, but the whole of the rest of his life was devoted to fighting the

34 25 Dark Arts Harry, I m sorry, but I think the real reason you re so angry is that Dumbledore never told you any of this himself. (361) Hermione tells Harry exactly what he needs to hear in this scene. Harry is far from the philosophical gold that he will become later on in the story, but it is now apparent that his realization as the opus of the alchemical work cannot come true without the agents of both sulfur and mercury to aid in his transformation. Ultimately, Harry cannot become the divine love essence that conquers Voldemort without imbuing the qualities of divine wisdom (Hermione) and creative power (Ron) first. 10 With the extreme polarity present between Ron and Hermione in mind, it is important to notice the theme of contraries (or inverses) springing up in numerous other character pairs in the book. Abraham says that the marriage of opposite forces is one essential aim of the Great Work. In fact, uniting opposing forces was thought to be necessary in order to produce the Philosopher s Stone. Traditionally, this concept was called the chemical wedding, and it was one of the central images of the opus alchymicum and a crucial operation in the creation of the philosopher s stone. Abraham goes on to say that alchemists were ultimately concerned with the union of substances, the reconciliation of opposites and that through this marriage of opposites the goal of the opus, the production of gold and its metaphysical equivalent, was obtained (35). Because the role of opposing forces is so important to the end result of the Great Work, Rowling has given readers a quarreling couple in Ron and Hermione, as well as a cornucopia of doppelgangers to serve as the substances which need resolving. 10 Speaking of the Philosopher s Stone, Abraham writes, It is the figure of light veiled in dark matter, that divine love essence which combines divine wisdom and creative power (145).

35 26 Granger notes that the theme of unity in division has alchemical meaning in Harry Potter, and Rowling wastes no time in introducing one of these united pairs into Hallows (Alchemist s Tale). In chapter eight, aptly titled, The Wedding, readers encounter a marriage between Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour. Alchemically speaking, Bill stands for England, sulfur, and the Red King. Fleur Delacour, on the other hand, stands for France, mercury, and the White Queen. Titus Burckhardt says the marriage of Sulfur and Quicksilver, Sun and Moon, King and Queen, is the central symbol of alchemy (149). Therefore, the wedding that takes place in the beginning of Deathly Hallows is a sure marker of the alchemical skeleton behind the story s structure. In beginning her novel with the chemical wedding, Rowling has assured readers that they can expect contrary forces to be resolved as the Great Work approaches its end. Even before the wedding takes place there are signs that the work as a whole is successfully coming to an end. One example of this comes in chapter three as Harry makes amends with the surrogate family that has treated him so unfairly throughout his childhood. About to part ways forever, Dudley thanks Harry for saving his life from the Dementors with a bit of gratuitous mumbling. Astonished, Harry exclaims that even though it wasn t a proper thank-you, coming from Dudley it was like saying, I love you (41). Establishing an end to a seven-book long altercation, Rowling is letting her readers know early on that this novel will follow suit with its alchemical aims, eventually resolving all of the books contraries. Rowling includes many character pairs which work as doppelgangers, or inverse shadows, in her work. Granger calls these pairs a direct example of Rowling s alchemical imagery, and they will all need to be resolved if she is to successfully complete the alchemical